Improvement in shields for spigot-holes



G.- B. CORNELL. Shield for Spigot-Holes.

No, 213,495. Patented Mar. 25,1879.

N.PETER5v PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D Cv UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

GEORGE B. OORNELIQOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHIELDS FOR SPlGOT-HOLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 213,495, dated March25, 1879; application filed February 26, 1879.

To all whom it may concern.- I

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. CORNELL, of Chicago, Illinois, haveinvented a Shield for Protecting the Spigot or Faucet Holes inBeer-Barrels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and theletters of reference marked thereon.

The invention consists of a metal device for protecting from wear thehole bored through the wooden part of the barrel to put in the faucet.The interior walls of the spigot or faucet hole must necessarily be ofwood or equivalent yielding material when a metal fancet is used,inorder thatthetapering end thereoflnay, by compressing the walls of thehole as driven in, make the hole conform to the faucet end, and thussecure a tight joint. This hole is stopped with a cork or plug driven inwhen the barrel is filled with beer or other fermenting liquor, whichcauses a high pressure from within, which would force the liquor out ifthe cork were removed without displacing it at the same time with thefaucet end.

In order to so displace the cork with the faucet end the cork is firstdriven in nearly through the hole with a suitable tool, and then thefaucet is applied to force it clear th rough. In repeating thisoperation the hole soon becomes too large for the faucet, on account ofthe tool used in forcing the cork through not being placed exactly overthe cork, but being permitted to hit upon the rim of the hole, andthereby enlarge it and destroy its uniformity and regularity of shape,rendering a new stave or entire barrel necessary, solely on account of aworn-out spigot-hole.

In order to obviate this difficulty I have devised the shield, whichconsists of a flat piece of metal with an opening in the center slightlylarger than the spigot-hole, and having one side made to conform to thecircular shape of the outside of the stave or part to which it is to befitted, and provided with holes in the outer edge to nail the same on.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top view of the shield; Fig. 2, itsbottom side; Fig. 3, a section on the line a" m, Fig. 2; and Figs. 4 and5 show different forms of the shield.

A is the shield; B, its opening; a, nailholes; a, nail; B,;thespigot-hole; and O is a projecting lug or point on the bottom side ofthe shield.

The shield is nailed or otherwise fastened onto the barrel-stave overthe spigot-hole, and when so secured forms a metal rim, which extendsaround on all sides of it, but does not project into it, said platebeing flat and applied to the outside surface of the barrel, and servesthe purpose of directing or guiding the end of the tool with which thecork is driven nearly through exactly over and upon the cork, so that itwill not hit the rim of the hole, and thereby prevents the hole frombeing worn any larger than the opening in the shield, or too large forthe faucet end.

In order to serve the purpose of more perfectly directing or guiding theend of such tool upon the cork and from hitting the sides of the hole,the opening in the shield may be made a little bveling at the outside,and as aids in securing the shield to the stave the projecting points orlugs G are made on its bottom side.

What I claim is-- A shield and guide for spigot-holes having an opening,B, and holes a, and made 011 one side of such shape as to fit upon thesurface ofa barrel around the outside of the spigothole, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

GEORGE B. CORNELL.

Witnesses J NO. H. WHIPPLE, J. W. MERRIAM.

